Five Top Safety Tips for Long Distance Driving

Five Top Safety Tips for Long Distance Driving, The goal of long distance driving is to get to your destination safely. We all know someone who says, "The time to get there is usually six hours; I did it in four and a half!" Speed should not be your primary focus. If you focus on getting there in the fastest amount of time, mistakes and errors in judgment can be made. Here are five tips to reach your destination in one piece.

1. Have a Current AAA Plus Membership Card with you. This annual membership provides 24-hour roadside service. The regular card will only transport your car to the nearest repair shop, give a battery charge, or change a tire for a fee of under $50. The AAA Plus card provides additional services. They will tow you for 100 miles for free, a definite convenience for long distance driving. The AAA plus also allows free fuel service, and a $750 traffic accident continuation trip if you are 50 miles or more from home.

2. Do Not Use Cruise Control. Long distance driving can have a hypnotic and fatiguing effect. Cruise control emphasizes and enhances that effect. Especially if you are tired, cruise control's ability to stay at the same speed can quickly lull you into sleep. Your eyes can close at that critical moment when traffic slows down, and you're still driving at 70 miles per hour. Lose control of the car, and you have an accident waiting to happen. Drive the car on your own so you can speed up or stop at a moment's notice as needed.

3. Don't Eat Heavy Food during the trip. You are going to be sitting and stationary for several hours at a time. Fast food in your stomach will give you a bloated and heavy feeling. Heavy and greasy food like double cheeseburgers, French fries, pizza, fried chicken and biscuits will contribute to the desire to take a nap. Better to eat light food like salads, soup, fruit cups and juice during the trip to keep your head clear. Coffee or hot chocolate is always a safe bet for long distance driving.

4. Stop and Get Rest in a Safe Place. Contrary to popular belief, boyfriends and husbands, long distance driving demands frequent rest stops. Fatigue can overtake you quickly, especially if you only watch the road in front of you instead of taking in the scenery while you drive. Be aware of overall discomfort, muscle aches in the neck, arms and shoulders. This is your body telling you it needs a break. When your tank is half empty, take bathroom and gasoline breaks at the same time. Stop in the refreshment area, walk around, clear your head, get some food, and then take a nap. Never park in the outskirts of a rest stop; park near another car or truck. Parking next to a van with a traveling family is always a safe bet. Park in front of a fast food restaurant, and then go to sleep. You may be surprised to see another driver next to your car doing the same thing!

5. Listen to Fast, Upbeat Music. This is not the time to listen to classical music or talk radio. Unless the topic is something that excites you, talk radio can lower your alertness. Instead, listen to upbeat music, especially anything that makes you want to sing along. Play music you haven't heard before, like Hip Hop, Salsa, or Reggae. Change the radio station whenever you reach a new state. Bring some tapes you enjoy, or have a tape made of fast, stimulating music just for your long distance drives.

Long distance driving can and should be a fun experience. The quality of the drive should be better than the quantity of arriving at your destination quickly, but exhausted. Use these tips on your next trip, and see the change in your driving attitude.

Things You Should Never Do to a Vehicle

Things You Should Never Do to a Vehicle, Car owner's manuals are like "Moby Dick" - we all have a copy someplace, but few of us ever made it through the whole thing. For those who didn't, here's a short list of things in the "don't do that!" section you may have missed: Never...

* Tow (or haul) more than the maximum-rated capacity

Ugly things can happen if you do. Examples include hitches/mounting points actually coming apart - and your load coming loose at 65 mph. Or overloaded brakes failing as you make your way down a steep grade. Beds/trunks weighed down by whatever you've crammed in there can compress the rear suspension dangerously - creating an evil-handling, ready-to-wreck ride that you'll regret ever having set in motion. And even if nothing immediately awful happens, you're still placing extreme stress on your vehicle that will result in rapid wear and tear of parts, which means they'll likely need to be replaced sooner than they otherwise might have. Burning up a clutch, ruining an automatic transmission or blowing out your shocks/struts can end up costing you a lot more than what you would have spent to rent/borrow a vehicle with the capacity you needed. Or just use yours - and make two trips with two smaller/lighter loads.

* Keep your 4WD in 4WD on dry, paved roads

If you have a truck or SUV with a part-time 4WD system, the majority of your on-street driving should be with the selector in 2WD. The other ranges - typically, 4WD High and 4WD Low - are not intended for use on dry pavement. Driving on smooth surfaces with 4WD engaged (and especially going around corners on dry, smooth surfaces with 4WD engaged ) can damage your 4WD system and leave you facing costly repairs. 4WD High range should only be engaged when there is snow on the road - or you've left paved roads entirely. 4WD Low should never be used on paved roads unless you are trying to make your way through very deep, unplowed snow. Otherwise, save it for driving off-road, at low speed, through deep mud, sand or on a very rugged dirt trail. 2WD should be re-engaged as soon as you're back on dry pavement/smooth roads. If your pick-up or SUV has a locking differential(s), be certain you only use it when the vehicle is moving forward or reversing - and not going around a corner. When cornering, the inside and outside wheels turn at different rates; the differential allows them do so without binding up. But when the differential's locked, the axles can bind - even break - if the stresses are severe enough. If that happens, you'll be stuck - and looking at a very big bill.

* Use a different weight (or grade) of oil than specified by the manufacturer

This is especially important with modern engines, because they are built with much closer tolerances than the engines of the past. Running a heavy oil (say, 20W-50) in an engine designed to use 5W-30 can increase friction inside the engine, reduce fuel efficiency - and possibly even lead to more serious problems that may not be covered by your new car warranty. The same also goes for American Petroleum Institute (API) ratings. If your vehicle's manufacturer says to only use oil with at least an SM rating (for improved oxidation resistance, protection against deposits and better low-temperature performance) and you cheap out by using a lower-performance SH/SG oil (for 1996 and older engines) you found on sale at Budget Auto Supply, you not only risk possible engine trouble - you risk losing warranty coverage for any oil-related failure that occurs. (See http://www.carmild.com)

* Use your transmission (manual or automatic) to "park" the car

The proper way to park your vehicle is to engage the parking brake before releasing the foot brake or putting the vehicle in "Park" (automatic-equipped vehicles) or releasing the clutch with the transmission in gear (manual-equipped cars). This way, the parking brake holds the weight of the car - not the transmission. If you don't do it this way, you risk breaking parts inside the transmission (expensive) or (less expensive, but annoying) finding it's hard to get the shift lever out of "Park" when you want to get going again. People have become stuck this way - and had to call AAA. Or had to arm-wrestle with the shift linkage for awhile before they were able to free the car. It's something that should never happen - because it's totally preventable.

* Drive fast (or far) on a space-saver spare

Many new cars come with temporary use only "mini-spares" designed for just that - temporary use only. They are not designed to let you continue driving as you were before the flat; they're designed only to let you keep on driving - at reduced speed and extra carefully - to the nearest service station. Most "minis" have warning labels that caution you not to exceed 55 mph or drive more than 100 miles (at the outside). The warning label will also usually tell you that your car may handle differently (read: less well) and that braking performance will be reduced (read: you will need more time to stop safely). The idea is to limp along to the tire store - grateful for any forward motion at all. Don't push your luck - or expect a temporary-use-only "mini" to do what a normal tire can do.

* Use tap water to top off your radiator (or battery)

Tap water can have impurities in it that you may not be able to see with your naked eye but which are nonetheless bad news for your car's cooling system. Unwanted chemical reactions can take place inside expensive-to-replace radiators and alloy engine parts. If you need to top off your car's cooling system, you should use distilled water - mixed in a 50-50 ratio with the appropriate anti-freeze (standard "green" or long-life "orange"). Never exceed 70 percent anti-freeze in the system. Top off the overflow reservoir - not the radiator itself (unless the vehicle has been sitting for at least a few hours and had time to cool down). If you do remove the radiator cap, always use a large towel to avoid being scalded by escaping steam/coolant. If you're stuck in the middle of nowhere and distilled water's not available, look for bottled water - it's at least filtered and should be more pure than ordinary tap water. Don't ever use bubbly mineral water under any circumstances.

Reviewing the 2010 Suzuki Grand Vitara

Reviewing the 2010 Suzuki Grand Vitara, There are a dozen or more compact-sized SUVs on the market, but only a few have real (truck-type) four-wheel-drive - 4WD with Low range gearing. Suzuki's Grand Vitara is one of these - and it's got more going for it than just its off-road bona fides.

WHAT IT IS

The Grand Vitara is compact SUV (a real SUV) with four doors and room for 4-5 people. It's available in rear-wheel-drive or 4WD versions, with either a four-cylinder or V-6 engine. Prices begin at $19,099 for a base rear-drive, four-cylinder, manual-equipped model and run up to $27,199 for a top-of-the-line Limited with V-6 engine, 4WD and automatic transmission.

WHAT'S NEW FOR 2010

An interesting and unusual new feature is a removable/portable Garmin GPS navigation system, now standard on all trims - including base models. This could be the beginning of a new trend away from expensive and can't-take-them-with you factory in-dash GPS units.

WHAT'S GOOD

A real-deal 4WD SUV that can handle itself off-road. Price is a bargain compared to similar vehicles such as the Jeep Liberty. 4WD is available with four-cylinder engine (it's common in other models to make the buyer upgrade to the optional V-6 to get 4WD). Nicely fitted out and finished; does not look low-rent. Standard GPS.

WHAT'S NOT SO GOOD

Optional V-6 is automatic only. Four-cylinder's optional automatic only has four speeds. Some buyers may not like the side-hinged tailgate. Standard GPS has a fairly small screen (and controls).

UNDER THE HOOD

The Grand Vitara comes standard with a 2.4 liter, 166 hp four cylinder and your choice of five-speed manual or (optionally) four-speed automatic. A part-time 4WD system with Low range gearing is available with either transmission. Acceleration with the 2.4 liter engine is a little slow-pokey (about 10 seconds to 60 mph) but it's in the same ballpark as car-based, light-duty FWD/AWD compact SUVs like the Honda CR-V, which haven't got the off-road capability the rugged little Suzuki does.

Optional is a 3.2 liter, 230 hp V-6 that's teamed with a mandatory five-speed automatic. You can go rear-drive or 4WD with this combo, too. The GV's V-6 is significantly stronger than the Jeep Liberty's standard 3.7 liter, 210 hp V-6 and because the Suzuki also weighs considerably less (3,468 lbs. vs. 3,985 lbs.) acceleration/response is snappier in the Grand Vitara. A V-6 Grand Vitara can reach 60 mph in about 9.3 seconds vs. 9.5 seconds for the Liberty.

Gas mileage with the Suzuki's V-6 is better, too - 18 city, 24 highway (RWD) and 17 city, 23 highway (with 4WD) vs. the Jeep's 16 city, 22 highway (RWD) and 15 city, 21 highway (with 4WD). Four cylinder GV's are rated at 19 city, 26 highway. Maximum tow rating for the Grand Vitara is 3,000 lbs. - 500 pounds less than the Liberty's 3,500 lb. max rating.

ON THE ROAD

Though the Grand Vitara is a "real" SUV - with the chassis and the heavy-duty gear necessary to safely handle the rigors of off-road use - its on-road manners are noticeably better than competitors like the Jeep Liberty.

The GV's V-6 has more power, an extra gear in the transmission (the Liberty's top-of-the-line automatic is a four-speed vs. the Suzuki's much more up-to-date five speed) and the GV weighs an incredible 500-plus pounds less than the Jeep. It thus feels more athletic when you hit the gas - and less ponderous when you enter a turn.

It's also nice that you can get a four cylinder engine - and a manual transmission - and four-wheel-drive with that combo, too. There's decent fuel economy potential with the 2.4 liter engine (26 mpg on the highway is not at all bad for a vehicle that can go off-roading, which none of the four cylinder-equipped light-duty SUV competition like the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V are built to handle) and the option of being able to shift for yourself adds a degree of sportiness, too.

In the Jeep, you have to buy the gas-hog V-6 engine - and there's no manual transmission option. The Liberty is a competent vehicle; but it's less fun to drive and doesn't seem nearly as happy on-road as it is capable off-road. My opinion: The GV is a much better-balanced vehicle, overall.

AT THE CURB

Another area where the Suzuki stays faithful to the real-deal SUV ethic is its side-hinged tailgate - and the full-size spare mounted right there on the door. I like both. The side-opening tailgate has a meaty, manly pull-handle and the door opens wide to give you full access to the cargo area More importantly, it can be closed easily and much more naturally, just by swinging the thing shut.

Other SUVs and crossovers have minivan-like lift-up tailgates that can be awkward to close if you're not more than six feet tall and have long arms and strong muscles. I really liked the accessibility of the spare tire - and that it's a real tire, not one of those next-to-useless minis.

You almost never see this layout - or a full-size spare tire - anymore. Most light-duty SUVs and crossovers have a mini-spare that's barely serviceable for even short-term use at low-speeds on paved roads only buried in the cargo area floor someplace - where it's not only hard to get at but what do you do with your full-size flat after you mount the mini-spare? The hole in the cargo floor is usually just big enough to accommodate the mini-spare (to save space). But that forces you to haul your muddy/dirty old tire/rim in the cargo area, where it's likely to ruin the carpet and make a godawful mess.

In the GV, you just mount the flat tire/rim on the tailgate and motor on. And since it's a real spare tire and not a "temporary use only" mini-spare, you can motor on, too - on-road or off. If you're out in the woods, camping or far from paced roads, that could be a very important lifeline.

Space/cargo wise, the GV actually has more room than the physically larger Jeep Liberty: 71 cubic feet vs. 64 cubic feet. That's impressive use of space given the Suzuki is about an inch shorter overall (175.8 inches vs. 176.9 inches) and rides on a wheelbase that's nearly three inches less than the Liberty's (103.9 inches vs. 106.1 inches).

The Suzuki also has more front seat legroom (41.3 inches vs. 40.8 inches) and virtually identical front-seat headroom (40 inches 40.4 inches). The Jeep does have more second-row head and legroom (40.3 inches and 38.8 inches vs. 38.2 and 37.2), which explains why the Liberty has a bit less total cargo-carrying capacity.

Still, there's enough room for a pretty big person (me - six feet three and 210 pounds) to sit comfortably in the rear seats without either legs or head knocking up against anything.

The optional part-time 4WD system has both 4WD High range Lock (which keeps the power split, front-to-rear, at a constant 50-50) as well as 4WD Low range for slogging through deep mud/snow and so forth.

The standard portable/removable GPS system is a neat feature; not only can you take it with you (as when camping or hiking or just walking around) but you can also transfer it to another vehicle. The unit comes with its own leather carrying case and it's small enough to easily fit in the pocket of your cargo pants or in a purse. Probably the weakest functional aspect of the Suzuki, though, is its not-so-great 3,000 lb. max towing capacity. There are mid-sized cars that can pull 3,500 lbs.and the Jeep's 3,500 lb. rating easily outclasses the GV in this one very important area.

THE REST

Suzuki is a highly respected name in the world of motorcycles but its four-wheeled offerings are less well-known. That doesn't mean they're iffy - Suzuki's just not a brand many people think of reflexively, like Honda or Toyota (or even Jeep) when it comes to cars. But the upside to that is a very aggressive pricing structure. The GV's base MSRP of $19,099 is $4,100 and change less than the Jeep Liberty's base price of $23,255. That's a huge difference - enough to keep you in free gas for two or three years.

Keep in mind you get standard GPS for that $19k, too. The GV also comes with an exceptionally long-legged seven year/100,000 mile powertrain warranty - vs. five years/100,000 miles for the Jeep. Both have the same three year/36,000 mile basic warranty.

Overall, the Suzuki is much more nicely finished and just comes off as the higher quality vehicle - especially interior-wise. The GV's cabin has nicer-looking, softer-feeling materials than the plasticky and ticky-tacky Jeep. For example, the inside door jambs and other parts of the GV that aren't immediately visible are still clear-coated, just like the rest of the vehicle's exterior panels. In some competitor models, you'll find that such areas aren't clear-coated (to save money during manufacturing) and while it's not a functional issue, it still looks low-rent. The GV's optional perforated leather (including door panels) is exceptionally nice for the price.